Monopoly 2008 plays just like the board game, but faster

Monopoly 2008 brings all the fun of the classic board game to your computer, only now you don't have to keep track of your property and money.

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No need for paper money here...

Monopoly 2008 is a Windows PC game that works in XP and Vista. It is a computer game adaptation of the world famous board game. It is quite faithful to the board game and can be played by a whole family sitting in front of the computer, if that’s your thing. As a single player game, it serves as a mild distraction.

I enjoy board games like this because they can be played for a little while or a long time. I’ve always been a fan of the Monopoly game and have some nice childhood memories of playing it with family. I think I still have the game somewhere at my parent’s house. This PC adaptation is fairly no frills, but that is a good thing in many ways. Often these board games get turned into PC games that are weighed down with too much gaudy animation and other things that get so repetitive they annoy the player.

One thing that really impressed me about this computer version of Monopoly is how fast the game went by. Even when playing against the computer, you can make it all the way around the board several times in a matter of minutes. It helps that the computer keeps up with all your money and properties, which is probably what takes up the most real time when playing the board game.

Graphically, this game is nothing special. It features the large game board and has some simple little animations for when the pieces move or the dice are rolled. Whenever you land on a space that is not yet owned, it will prompt you to buy it. If the property is owned, you have to pay rent. When other players start to add houses and things, it can get pretty expensive to land on another player’s property. A little icon for each playing piece shows ownership for each property owned, so you at least can see what to avoid, though everything is up to the roll of the dice.

Because this game doesn’t require much for graphics and sound, it should play well on most any computer made in the past several years, including laptops. It is not enhanced by any type gaming hardware, such as a high-end video card, so there’s not much to worry about if you think your computer can’t run the game.

I think the best way to play this game would be to hook your computer up to a TV or large monitor, then play it in the living room or where everyone can join in. Otherwise, why not turn off the TV and computer, then get the real Monopoly game for family time? The main selling point here is that you can play Monopoly any time anywhere. Too bad it doesn’t include online play.

In addition to this game, there’s another version of this game out for PC called Monopoly Here and Now that features more modern properties.